SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 51
SECTION A
SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
$1.00
Gunfi re chases visitors out of
park, neighbors out of homes
e
ett
llam
Wi River
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
A hail of gunfi re drove vis-
itors out of Sunset Park and
neighbors out of their homes
along the Willamette River
Sunday, Sept. 10.
The incident resulted in a
throng of area residents turn-
ing out at the Keizer City
Council meeting Monday,
Sept. 18, to demand action on
the part of the city. For now,
it seems the only action to be
taken is a sternly-worded let-
ter to the owner of a quarry
across the river who allows
family, friends and even the
Salem Police Department to
use part of his property as a
shooting range.
“I’ve been here 25 years
and we’ve had complaints
about the noise, but this is the
fi rst time it has ever risen to
this level,” said Sgt. Greg Bar-
ber, the Keizer police offi cer
who responded to reports of
the shots.
Barber was unable to fi nd
any bullets in the park, but
doesn’t doubt witnesses who
fl ed from the riverbank who
Sunset
Park
Private
Shooting
Range
Blow out
PAGE A11
Please see GUNFIRE, Page A8
Keizer Station Hop Jacks will open next spring
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Keizerites will have a new op-
tion for burgers and brew come
spring 2018.
Hop Jacks, a Washington-
based chain specializing in
American comfort food, is
currently building one of its
newest locations on the corner
of Ulali Drive North and Keizer Station
Boulevard.
“We selected Keizer because
of its general proximity to I-5 and
the mix of businesses in the center,”
said founder Mark Eggen. “We have
signed a lease in the Sherwood neigh-
borhood, and are actively pursuing several
opportunities throughout the Portland and
Willamette Valley areas.”
The Keizer location will be the business’s sec-
ond in Oregon, the other opened in Happy Valley in
2016. The Hop Jacks menu includes a wide range of
sandwiches, burgers, salads, tacos and three types of
mac and cheese.
“Signature items include hand-formed 100-per-
cent Angus beef burgers, icy fruit drinks served in a
glass made of ice and beer served from taps of ice and
poured at 34 degrees,” Eggen said.
Fugitive
caught
PAGE A2
Please see JACKS, Page A8
Rollover attributed to
‘mutual road rage’
Off to see the
Wizard
While signs covering
windows like those seen
here are permitted under
the current code,
changes are afoot.
PAGE A4
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Sign code changes
draw scrutiny
Supreme Court issued a
By ERIC A. HOWALD
ruling on the case of Reed
Of the Keizertimes
The Keizer Planning v. Town of Gilbert and it
Commission
continued caused cities across the na-
wrestling with revisions tion to re-evaluate their sign
to the city sign code at its codes.
The case
meeting
stemmed
Wednesday,
from
the
Sept. 13.
“ We’ve spent
town of Gil-
In ad-
bert, Ariz.,
dition
to an hour on two
in which a
b r i n g i n g things and we’re
small church
the code in
placed signs
line with a still shooting at
near
vari-
2015 U.S. ghosts.”
ous buildings
Supreme
Court rul-
— Garry Whalen, where it held
Planning Commisioner
services; the
ing,
city
church did
staff
are
not have a
looking
to update other sections of regular site where services
the code dealing with the were held. The church was
number of signs allowed per cited twice for exceeding
storefront, window shades time limits for displaying
and the frequency of change signs and for failing to in-
clude the date of the event.
on electronic signs.
Supreme Court justices,
Content vs. Category
Two years ago, the U.S.
Please see SIGN, Page A7
XC teams hit
their stride
PAGE A13
A rollover crash on Keizer
Station Boulevard involving
a 17-year-old Keizer Police
Department (KPD) cadet and
a 29-year-old man is being
attributed to road rage after
an investigation by the Mar-
ion County Sheriff ’s Offi ce
(MCSO).
About 6:50 p.m. Thursday,
Sept. 14, Keizer police and
the Keizer Fire District were
dispatched to a crash involv-
ing two vehicles near the in-
tersection of Lockhaven Drive
Northeast and Keizer Station
Boulevard Northeast. One of
the vehicles fl ipped and came
to a rest on its top on the road-
way while the other involved
vehicle left the scene immedi-
ately after the crash occurred.
Responding offi cers rec-
ognized the 1985 Ford Bron-
co that was resting on its roof
Courtesy of KPD
An off-duty Keizer Police Department cadet rolled his Bronco
near the Keizer Transit Center in a crash ascribed to road rage.
Both drivers have been charged in the incident.
as belonging to an off-duty
KPD cadet. He has been with
the department since May
2016.
Because of the possible
confl ict of interest, MCSO
deputies were called in to
investigate. Their investiga-
tion determined both driv-
ers were mutually involved
in a road rage incident. Both
drivers were allegedly speed-
ing and driving recklessly just
prior to the crash. Deputies
believe the other involved
driver, 29-year-old Juan C.
Vazquez of Keizer, cut off the
17-year-old and slammed on
his brakes causing the cadet
to turn his vehicle in an effort
to avoid a collision. Doing so
caused his vehicle to leave the
roadway and fl ip as it traveled
up an embankment.
After the crash, Vazquez
left the scene, but he was later
found at his residence where
he was taken into custody for
reckless driving and six counts
of recklessly endangering an-
other person.
The
17-year-old
was
taken to the Salem Hospital
for evaluation and treatment
of minor injuries that were
caused by the crash. He will
be referred to the Marion
County Juvenile Department
for the same charges. He was
the only one of the Bronco’s
four occupants that was in-
jured.